Hello Figma Team,
I’m a postgraduate design student at Monash University, and I’ve been trying to access Figma’s Education Program for several weeks now. Unfortunately, what should be a simple verification process has turned into a loop of rejections, blocked attempts, and system errors — all thanks to SheerID.
Here’s what happened:
- I submitted my government-issued ID (first a South Australia Age Card, then my passport), as requested. The photos were clear, glare-free, and unedited — I followed every requirement listed.
- As a result, I received “We were unable to confirm your identity”, with no explanation given.
- Even more frustratingly, I was never given a chance to upload my student ID or proof of enrolment — the verification flow simply didn’t include that step.
- Eventually, I was locked out entirely with a “Verification Limit Exceeded” screen, despite doing everything by the book.
- SheerID’s support did reply (and I genuinely appreciate that their support staff were polite), but they just reset the process and asked me to try again — which, of course, led to the exact same problem.
At this point, I feel completely defeated. I’m trying to access Figma for actual university assignments, and yet I’m stuck in a broken system that doesn’t seem to recognize real, valid documentation. I’m not trying to get a discount or game the system — I’m just a student trying to do her work.
I’ve always respected Figma as a brand, and I know your support team is doing their best, but I can’t help feeling that hiding behind SheerID is not the solution. If SheerID’s system is failing real students, then Figma should take responsibility for stepping in and providing a human pathway to support.
I’m more than happy to provide my student ID, enrolment letter, even join a video call if necessary. I just need someone to care enough to solve the problem.
Please.
a Postgraduate Design Student, Monash University
